In HCS Cadre Order, 15 posts of ADCs are earmarked for Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers --Advocate
CHANDIGARH: On Friday 2 Feb 2024, a total of 116 IAS and HCS- EB (Haryana Civil Service -Executive Branch) officers have got new postings/transfers in Haryana vide an Order issued by the State's Personnel Department under the seal and signature of Chief Secretary.
In this major administrative reshuffle by the State Government which comes weeks ahead of the announcement of General Elections to 18th Lok Sabha, which are scheduled in April-May 2024, a total of 13 districts in the State have got new Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs).
Meanwhile, Hemant Kumar, an Advocate at Punjab & Haryana High Court told that post latest administrative rejig, in all 22 districts in the State, each having a duly sanctioned post of ADC, which is second senior most administrative position at district headquarters after the coveted and elite post of Deputy Commissioner (DC), now IAS officers with Senior Scale i.e. above four years of service and below 9 years of service i.e. in other words from 2016 to 2020 batch of IAS are now posted as ADCs.
Be that as it may, Hemant told that however as per the HCS (EB- Executive Branch) Cadre Strength and Composition Order as issued by Vijay Vardhan, then Chief Secretary, Haryana vide Order No. 43/1/2014- 6SII dated 15 October 2020 and which is applicable as on date, total 15 posts of ADCs at District Headquarters out of total 22 are earmarked for officers of HCS (EB) Cadre. Before 2 Feb 2024, although in four districts of the State viz. Panipat (Veena Hooda, 2002 batch), Kaithal (Sushil Kumar-1, 2003 batch), Panchkula (Varsha Khangwal, 2004 batch) and Rohtak ( Mahesh Kumar - 2013 batch) districts, HCS (EB) officers were posted as ADCs however now they too have been replaced with IAS officers for the reasons best known to the State Government.
The Advocate further elaborated that as per currently applicable IAS (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations in respect of State of Haryana as previously framed and notified by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India in Dec, 2018 only 7 posts of ADCs are earmarked for IAS officers ( in or above the Senior Scale level) but after latest administrative reshuffle, IAS officers have been posted as ADCs in all 22 districts of Haryana.
Pertinent that as on date 4 of the 6 IAS of 2016 batch in Haryana Cadre viz. Dr. Vivek Bharti (ADC-Sirsa), Dr. Harish Kumar Vashisht, (ADC-Panchkula), Dr. Jainder Singh Chhillar (ADC-Charkhi Dadri) and Dr. Brahmjeet Singh Rangi (ADC-Palwal) were appointed in the IAS from non-SCS (State Civil Service) quota in Oct 2022 i.e. they have just over 15 months of actual service in IAS but nevertheless since all these four have been granted 2016 batch year of IAS by DoPT, Govt of India in Dec, 2022, hence they got qualified for Senior Scale of IAS and consequently posted as ADC of respective district, quipped Hemant. Nevertheless, two more IAS of 2016 batch in Haryana Cadre viz. Rahul Narwal and Abhishek Meena, who are directly / regularly recruited IAS ( read RR) are not posted as ADCs.
Further, two IAS of 2017 batch viz. Sahil Gupta and Dr. Vaishali Sharma are posted as ADCs of Jind and Kurukshetra districts respectively. Then four IAS of 2018 batch viz. Ayush Sinha (Yamunangar), Aparajita (Ambala), Akhil Pilani (Karnal) and Anupama Anjali (Rewari), six IAS of 2019 batch viz. Vaishali Singh (Rohtak), Ankita Choudhary (Sonepat), Niraj (Hisar), Anand Kumar Sharma (Faridabad), Saloni Sharma (Jhajjar) & Hitesh Kumar Meena (Gurugram) and also six IAS of 2020 batch viz. Pradeep Singh (Nuh), Deepak Babulala Karva (Mahendragarh), Pankaj (Panipat), C.Jayasharadha (Kaithal), Harshit Kumar (Bhiwani) and Rahul Modi (Fatehabad) are posted as ADCs.
Hemant asserted that there is no denying the fact that the posting and transfer of officers is the prerogative of the Competent Authority ( in case of HCS-EB and IAS officers, it's the State Government in the Personnel Department which comes directly under Chief Minister/Chief Secretary). However, since in the HCS Cadre Strength and Composition Order as applicable as on date, if 15 posts of ADCs are earmarked for HCS (EB) officers and moreover such officers with minimum service requirement viz. in Selection Grade/Super Time Scale or having 9 to 18 years of Service in HCS (EB) Cadre as specified in the aforementioned HCS Cadre Order are available, then the State Government must comply such Order in letter and spirit and thus ought to post suitable HCS (EB) officers on such earmarked 15 posts of ADCs in Haryana.